Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer which is correlated with the exposure to asbestos. It develops on the protective lining of the various areas of the body, commonly the lungs or the abdomen, even though it affects other parts as well. There are two kinds of cells the cancer may affect, which results in the epithelial mesothelioma and also sarcomatoid mesothelioma. This article will deal particularly with the difference between these two kinds of cancer and what it implies for our prognosis. There are also some discussions around the symptoms, treatments and the survival rates. Thus you can feel fully armed with information in your triumph against mesothelioma. While the epithelial mesothelioma is quite easier to treat than is sarcomatoid, the most resistant form of this disease, and the outlook can still appear quite surprising to people who have received a diagnosis, which is why it is important to know everything about this disease so as to give yourself the best chance of surviving and lengthening your lifespan.
The Symptoms of Epithelial Mesothelioma
It is essential to find out the symptoms of mesothelioma so that when the cancers appear, you can share this information with your healthcare provider. Unluckily, mesothelioma has long dormancy and latency period, meaning that it is commonly a number of decades between the time of exposure and the time that the first symptoms occur. This can make it hard to pinpoint the symptoms and decide on the initial occurrence of the disease, since it is often confused with some other terminal illnesses or even some common viral ailments or infections. Epithelial mesothelioma has extremely subtle symptoms at first, which includes chest pain, abdominal pain, and shortness of breath, the swelling of neck and face, and trouble of breathing or swallowing. Since the disease progresses, you might see blood as you cough, fatigue, dizziness, anemia, and weight loss. If any of these symptoms remain for longer than one day or two in response to fever, then you should see a physician. There may be some indicators of a very dangerous disease, and immediate treatment can help you live longer than catching the sickness later. Unluckily, epithelial mesothelioma does go undiagnosed for a great amount of time, affecting our outlook or prognosis.
Epithelial Mesothelioma Prognosis
The prognosis will depend on your diagnosis, which is the stage of your cancer at the current time. For now, you have to know that it is difficult for medical team to make accurate prediction about the course of the disease. Cancer is very unpredictable, which means that you may get a prognosis of one year only, yet then you live for another five years, or be told that you can liver for several years only to succumb to the illness in only few short months.
Epithelial mesothelioma, affecting the cells which make up the tissue lining the lungs and some other organs, is way easier to treat than is sarcomatoid mesothelioma, which tends to affect cells used in connecting tissues. If you have been diagnosed with epithelial mesothelioma, that will surely lengthen your prognosis compared to being diagnosed with sarcomatoid mesothelioma that is so resistant to all sorts of treatments. While the survival rate for mesothelioma is still commonly a few years, the prognosis has recently been getting better over the time as many studies and medical trials develop new treatment approaches and get better at recognizing the disease.
Diagnosis of Epithelial Mesothelioma
The most important factor in mesothelioma diagnosis is what type of cells it impacts. As aforementioned, epithelial mesothelioma affects the lining cells, while the sarcomatoid mesothelioma attacks connective tissues. Your diagnosis will decide on which type of cancer you have, or in case you have a mixed version, which commonly affects both kinds of cells and around thirty five percent of patients.
Other factors which are involved in your mesothelioma diagnosis comprise of where the cancer initially grows. If it is on the lining of the lungs, it is called pleural mesothelioma, and is one of the easiest to treat. If it does affect the sac around the heart, it will be pericardial mesothelioma, and the life expectancy is quite a little bit shorter. Mesothelioma which affects the stomach or abdominal cavity is more known as peritoneal mesothelioma. Epithelial mesothelioma may be in any of these parts.
Epithelial Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Just like making prognosis, a physician can make accurate a prediction about life expectancy. Because many factors are involved in how the disease grows, which include health history, family history, lifestyle, other medical conditions or records, where the cancer is situated, how well various treatment approaches work, and the stage at which the disease is diagnosed. It is quite difficult to say how long a patient with the cancer will live. However, most patients die within the first two years after their diagnosis. It is estimated that 40 percent of patients survive longer than one year, while only 20 percent liver longer than two years. In the last five years, only 8 percent of patients are still alive. That being said, you are much likely to live a few years or more providing you catch the disease early, which is why recognizing the disease is so important.
The Causes of Epithelial Mesothelioma
Epithelial mesothelioma is exclusively found in people that were exposed to high levels of asbestos earlier in their young age or early lives, particularly between 2 and 5 decades before the first diagnosis. Though there is no safe level of the exposure to asbestos, the greater the amounts of asbestos you are exposed to and the longer time you spend being exposed to it, the better your chances of getting mesothelioma. Most people got the exposure to asbestos on their work, while some others have been exposed to it through their surroundings, especially when the insulation is not covered properly. Sadly, asbestos can be carried on clothing also, meaning that families of workers exposed to asbestos might also develop mesothelioma.
Note that while smoking is not the main cause of mesothelioma, the combination of asbestos and smoking raises your chances of suffering from mesothelioma to even 90 percent. If you are exposed to asbestos in your life, you should stop smoking soon, especially if you have been diagnosed with the epithelial mesothelioma.
